The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-05-07

MONROE, La, MAY 7, 1887.
EXERCISES IN PREsTIDIGITATION.
recently had an opportunity of be-
ing present at some amusing expert
ments of a prestidigitator, who was
good enough to let me into the secret
of his most curious tricks for the benefit
of the readers Of La Nature. Although
it merely concerns the question of a
deception of the eye, 1 shall make
known the mesns employed for
changing ink into water, or, rather.
for really making credulous spectators
believe that ink can be SO changed.
The pres:idigitator places upon ia
bic glass half full of black liquid
that has every appearance of being ink.
He shows the spectators white card,
dips it into the glass, and takes 1t out
stained with black. This done, he
conceals the glass under napkin or
handkerchief then he suddenly re.
moves the latter, and the glass is seen
to contain clear liquid, which is
water. This trick excites very great
establishment when it is we'll perform.
ed but nothing is easier than 10 re-
peat it.
Pure water is poured into tumbler,
and the lower part of the latter is lined
with strip Of black cloth, flannel or
chashmere, up TO the level Of the Ii
quid. AT u certain distance off this
gives the water every appearance Of
being ink. Previous to this u card has
been prepared by coloring third of
one OF its sides with black ink. When
this card Is shown tn the spectators, it
is presented to them white side fore-
most. After it has been dipped into
the alleged ink, it is turned around so
as to show the linked surface, and it
then appears as if it had really been
immersed in ink.
Then the glass is covered with the
fabric, and the latter is inserted into
it far enough 10 allow the fingers to
grasp the black lining and quickly re-
move it, and thus make the black
liquid appear as water.
This experiment shows with what
facility certain mystifcators can prae-
tice deceit when they present their
experiments as being under the in-
fluence Of supernatural agents.
Experiments of the same nature may
be more scientifically performed by
means Of chemical precipitates. Add
tfncture of iodine to crystalfized ace,ic
acid, and you will obtain a red liquid
having the appearance OF wine. Pour
into the mixture a solution of bypOsul.
phite of soda, and you will obtain Il
milk white liquid, and the wine will
seem to have been converted into milk.
Put some iodine of potassium into an
aqueous solution of salt of mercury
(the bichloride, for example,) and you
will have q red precipltate Of iodine
of mercury. An excess of the reagent
dissolves the precipitate, and the color
disappears. This latter experiment is
very curious, since the two liquids
have the appearance of water. While
we are on this subject, we may MEM
ton, in conclusion, the curious tri-
colored artificial flower that toy
manufacturer annually brings out.
A white flower by an abrupt move-
ment of the arm, Is rendered red, and
then by another movement blue. The
white flower. which is of thin paper,
is folded like a fan, and is placed be-
tween two flexible leaves, that are pro-
vided at their upper extremities with
a small piece of lead. BY deXterous
movement the green leaf is raised and
the white flower Is folded under its
weight, and u red flower makes its ap,
pearauce on one side and blue one on
the other. If the motion be quick, the
eye cannot discern the means that are
employed to effect tho transformation,
which may be regarded as an amsing
optical eXperiment.-La Nature.